By fiercely standing up against societal norms, women like Lucille Ball -- who founded Desilu Productions in 1950 alongside her husband -- were pioneers. They proved women can not only enjoy marriage and motherhood, but also become bosses and start companies.

Since the 1950s, female stars have taken even more initiative. From the 1970s on, media maven and would-be billionaire Oprah has acted as a beacon for women who wanted to focus on work, instead of their personal lives. Oprah, 62, still hasn't gotten married or settled down.

Movies and public figures show us images of how women should act and speak. When there are popular gender stereotypes, it results in women being overlooked for executive-level positions and, of course, the pay gap.

In honor of International Women's Day, we celebrate the political, cultural and economic achievements actresses have made thus far. From moving monologues to red carpet interviews, these motivational quotes help us fight bias, one conversation at a time.